Cover catching and holding attachment for can openers



.Ian. 1, 1952 RUSKE 2,580,887

w. J. B COVER CATCHING AND HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR CAN OPENERS Filed Aug. 51, 1950 Inventor Walter J- Bruske' B, 24mm WW m Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES ?ATENT OFFICE COVER CATCHING AND HOLDING ATTACH- FOR CAN OPENERS Walter J. Bruske, Fall Creek, Wis. Application August 31, 1950, Serial No. 182,494

6 Claims. (01. 30-424) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in can openers and the primary object of the present invention is to provide an attachment for can openers that will'yieldingly grip and hold a cover as the cover is removed from a can to prevent a can cover from falling into its can.

Another very important object of the present invention is to provide a cover catching attachment for can openers including a pair of resilient cover gripping and holding jaws that are manually swung on a bracket toward the cuttin means of an opener-where the jaws will receive a cover therebetween as the cover is tipped after being partially cut from it's can.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cover catching and holding attachment for can openers of the aforementioned character wherein the attachment is quickly and readily mounted on a can opener without disturbing the normal operatio'n'of the opener.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a cover catching and holding attach ment for can openers that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact in structure, eflicient and durable in operation, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a can opener with the invention mounted thereon and showing the gripping jaws positioned away from the cutting means of the opener in their unused position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a can opener with the invention mounted thereon and showing the opener and the invention in use with the cover of a can (dotted lines) partially cut from the can and received by the jaws of the invention; and,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

a sharp cutting jaw member IB, and a pivot l8. securing the members l2 and I4 together. A rotating operating member 20 is rotatably supported on the outer end of the member 12 and supports a gear (not shown) that underlies the member I6 and which will ride under and against the rim of a can.

The present invention does not attempt to claim the above well known and conventional structure nor is the invention limited to a can opener of the aforedescribed construction. Furthermore, the inner end of the upper member I2 is preferably bent upwardly to form an ofiset 0 so that it will better fit the palm of the hand at the base of the operators thumb, with the operators thumb resting over the instant attachment as shown by dotted lines in Figure 2.

The vertical flange 22 of an angle member or bracket is secured to and against the forward portion of the handle I! 'by fasteners, rivets or the like 24. The angle member is located intermediate the cutting means of the opener and the oflfset 0, and includes a horizontal flange 26 that overlies the member l2. The flange 26 projects laterally from the member l2 and its outer end is turned upwardly and inwardly to form a channel 28 that parallels the member [2.

An open duck-bill or spring clip 30 is rotatably mounted on the flange 26 and comprises upper and lower resilient jaws 32 and 34 that are joined at one of their ends. The jaw 34 is flat whereas the jaw 32 is concavo-convex with its central portion bearing against the jaw 34 and with its unattached end 36 spaced above the jaw 32. The jaws 32 and 34 slope transversely downwardly toward the cutting means or toward the member 12 when the jaws are disposed at one side of the member 12 as shown in Figure 2.

The jaw 32 is provided, at its attached end, with a lateral projection 38 that is pivoted to the flange 26 through the medium of a vertical pivot or rivet 40 to permit swinging movement of the clip 30 toward or away from the cutting means. The end edge 4'2 of the projection 38 will enter and engage the channel 28 when the clip 30 is swung forward to its operative position and with a side edge 44' that will enter and engage the channel 28 when the clip 30 is swung away from the cutting means. The corner of the projection is shaped to prevent binding of the projection with the channel as the clip is moved from its position shown in Figure 1 to its position as shown in Figure 2.

In practical use, after the contents of the can have been removed, the opener, with the cover still held in the clip jaws, is again picked up with the right hand with the right thumb braced against the clip and in this manner the cover is then introduced into the open end of the empty can and sort of brushed or scraped off into the can without once touching the cover with the fingers.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a can opener including a pair of pivotally connected members and means for cutting a cover from a can, means for catching and holding the cover prior to the removal of the cover from its can, said cover catching and holding means comprising a bracket secured to one of said members and projecting laterally from said one of said members, a spring clip adapted to yieldingly grip a cover, and means pivotally securing said clip to said bracket and permitting swinging movement of said clip toward and away from said cutting means.

2. In a can opener including a pair 01' pivotally connected members and means for cutting a cover from a can, means for catching and holding the cover prior to the removal of the cover from its can, said cover catching and holding means comprisin a, bracket secured to one of said members and projecting laterally from said one of said members, said bracket including a flat portion terminating in a channel, said channel paralleling said one of said members, a pair of spring jaws connected at one of their ends, one of said jaws having a lateral projection, and a pivot securing said projection to said fiat portion and permitting swinging movement of said jaws toward and away from said cutting means, said projection having a side edge received in said channel when said jaws are disposed away from said cutting means and an end edge received in said channel when said jaws are disposed toward said cutting means.

3. In a can opener including a pair of pivotally connected members and means for cutting a cover from a can, means for catching and holding the cover prior to the removal of the cover from its can, said cover catching and holding means comprising a bracket secured to one of said members and projecting laterally from said one of said members, a spring clip adapted to yieldingly grip a cover, and means pivotally securing said clip to said bracket and permitting swinging movement of said clip toward and away from said cutting means, said clip comprising upper and lower resilient jaws, said lower jaw being flat and said upper jaw being concavoconvex and having its convex surface contacting the lower jaw and one end curved upwardly from the lower jaw to permit a cover to enter between the jaws.

4. In a can opener including upper and lower pivotally connected members and means con-- nected to the members for cutting a cover from a can, means carried by the opener for gripping and holding the cover prior to removal of the cover from the can and thereby preventing the cover from passing into the can, said cover gripping and holding means comprising an angle bracket including a vertical flange secured against said upper member adjacent said cutting means and a horizontal portion overlying said upper member and projecting laterally from said upper member, and a pair of spring jaws mounted on said horizontal flange and paralleling said upper member and extending toward said cutting means.

5. In a can opener including upper and lower pivotally connected members and means connected to the members for .cutting a cover from a can, means carried by the opener for gripping and holding the cover prior to removal of the cover from the can and thereby preventing the cover from passing into the can, said cover gripping and holding -means comprising an angle bracket including a vertical flange secured against said upper member adjacent said cutting means and a horizontal portion overlying said upper member and projecting laterally from said upper member, a pair of resilient upper and lower jaws connected at one of their ends, a lateral projection on said lower jaw, and a vertical pivot securing said projection to said horizontal flange and permitting swinging movement of said jaws toward and away from said cutting means.

6. The combination of claim 5 and stop means on said horizontal flange engaging said projection to retain the jaws parallel to the upper member as the jaws are pivoted toward said cutting means.

WALTER J. BRUSKE.

No references cited. 

